Nearby Theaters

News About This Theater

The Victoria Theatre is the oldest surviving purpose-built cinema in the Southern Hemisphere. It first opened in 1912 with 965 seats. The Victoria Theatre Trust have now purchased the building and renovated to bring it back into the film business, as well as running live theatre. It re-opened on 26th October 2010.

The Vic originally opened on 26 October, 1912; I have a photo showing a group of people holding up a banner which includes the date.

There is some confusion because of a fire in 1924; the roof, the projection area and part of the interior were rebuilt, which took about a year. Films were shown at an alternate site until repairs could be made. Also, there is a chair from the original theatre still being stored in the theatre building. If the fire had been complete, I’m pretty sure chairs wouldn’t have survived.

lostmemory, I have been researching and writing a history of The Vic for months. It’s to be used as a fundraiser if I can come up with the cash to have it published. If you have info, I would appreciate it if you would forward it to me at It would be really embarrassing to spend my savings account to have a fundraiser published and be wrong!

Just to update some of this information. we have three theatres The Victoria – Cinema 1 – with 180 seats; The Benwell – Cinema 2 – with 44 seats; The Albert – Cinema 3 – with 116 seats; a total of 340 seats

the theatre’s phone number is 0064 9 446 0100

I would love to find out more about the theatre’s history, i.e. what / who was operating in the building alongside the cinema? Does anyone have information about the early life of the theatre? I heard there was a newsprint business, a jewelry shop, and also what was in the theatre? I heard there was a ‘candy nook’ and a ‘cocktail lounge’? is this correct?